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A Word With You - Dec. 7, 2012

Special people tend to get special treatment. Did you ever notice that? For example, look at what we serve for dinner when the boss is coming over or some out of town friends. It's kind of interesting when special people come and your kids look at you and say, "Mommy, I like it when guests come." And then you find out the reason why. "We never have this when they're not here." They finally get something other than hotdogs and hamburgers. It's amazing when somebody special is coming. We clean house, we cook new things, we put on our best manners. The problem is we often forget who the most special people on earth are—well according to Jesus, that is. And how you treat them is a revealing measure of how much you think like your master.

Have you guessed who they are? Here we go. Our word for today from the Word of God about special people is found in Matthew 18. In fact, the first several verses of that chapter describe Jesus' value system. For example, He says, "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." I like the way He went about this. He took a little child; put him in the middle of all these big disciples. Can't you imagine this little boy or girl looking up with wide eyes at this whole circle of disciples and feeling like, "I'm so little. Look at all these important people!" And Jesus puts this little child in the center and says, "You gotta be like him to get into My kingdom."

Then He says, "Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven," and then listen to this, "and whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me." Wow! Do you know who it appears are the most special people on earth to Jesus? The children.

When Jesus was with the important people from Jerusalem, the Pharisees—the leaders, you remember the little kids wanted to see Him, and the disciples who were running the nursery said, "Uh, well, He's really busy with the important people." Remember what Jesus said? It says He was really displeased with the disciples, and He said, "Let the little children come to Me, because of such is the kingdom of heaven."

You know the test of how much you think like your Master, at least one good test, is how you treat children. Yeah, Jesus said how you treat them is how you treat Him. It's interesting because children have no votes, they have very little power, they have very little influence, they have no money to give you; there's really not much in it for you. That's why it's such a good test of your priorities. See, what good do they do you when you want to impress people? They don't help you get ahead, and yet because of that they are a test of the loving, gracious, giving, unselfish nature of your heart.

Do you have time to stop for a child? Do you do it very often? Do you have time to listen to his trivial little conversation which isn't trivial to him? Do you have time to hug him, to compliment him, to make him feel special, to get down on their level and talk to them on their level? Oh, you can always spot the people who have been around Jesus a lot because they have time for children.

See, children do have something to give us actually. They teach us something about openness, simplicity, humility, and faith. They help us unmask and they are soft cement that can still be written on. They're so important! They're a life to be shaped. Take stock of who gets your best attention and remember that Jesus thinks the children are some of the most special people on earth.